Freeze-dry food ~ Easy food for overnight hiking!

One of popular freeze-dry food in the US

Teriyaki Chicken, it is not too bad.

   I used to cook some foods even if I was in mountains.  However, I typically take some freeze dry food for overnight hiking nowadays.  I still think to cook some foods would be better and tasty.  But it is convenient and easy to cook.  Especially, Mt. Whitney and some other area, foods and food wastes need to be stored in a bear canister, it is much convenient to use freeze dry food in such area.  As long as people can finish all food in a package, only waste would be the package itself and an oxygen absorber.  Also, people can eat it from the package without any dishes.  All I need to do is just boil some water and put it into the package.  It is easy to clean the cooker.  It helps to reduce stuff people need to carry to mountains.   There are variety of freeze dry foods in outdoor stores.

   Since I am getting old and try to minimize the stuff I carry to mountains.  Also, there might be a few times to do overnight hiking with a few people nowadays.  There is not much motivation to cook a nice food in mountains.  The price for a package is something around USD $10.  It is not very expensive and taste is acceptable.   It might be worth to consider this type of food during hiking.  It is simple and easy!

   Now I realized why small cooker with non-stick coating is getting so popular in outdoor stores.  Not many people really cook in mountains and just boil some water for every meal and drink some tea, coffee and probably soup.  Most of people do not have to worry about cookware any more.  Most of time, people does not have to eat a better food in mountains.  The purpose people are on a trail is just enjoy hiking / climbing, not really cooking and eating a nice food.  So that outdoor cookware for backpacking and mountaineering need to be just simple and light.   On the other hand, a family camping is different.   Cooking (BBQ?) and eating delicious foods could be still one of their purpose.   Just using cookware for backpacking is probably limiting possible menu.  Most of time, they do not care the packing size and weight for the cookware.  Then it might be hard to share the same gear between mountaineering/backpacking and family camping.   That is what I wrote a few days ago.  Now, I am using the same cookware I use in a kitchen at home in family camping.